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dog flea

noun

See under flea.

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Nearby words

  1. dog collar,
  2. dog curtain,
  3. dog days,
  4. dog eat dog,
  5. dog fennel,
  6. dog fouling,
  7. dog fox,
  8. dog handler,
  9. dog hook,
  10. dog in the manger

Origin of dog flea

First recorded in 1835–45

Definition for dog flea (2 of 2)

flea

[ flee ]
/ fli /

noun

any of numerous small, wingless bloodsucking insects of the order Siphonaptera, parasitic upon mammals and birds and noted for their ability to leap.
either of two common fleas of the genus Ctenocephalides, the very small, black C. felis (cat flea) or the similar but larger C. canis (dog flea), both of which infest cats, dogs, and occasionally humans.
any of various small beetles and crustaceans that leap like a flea or swim in a jumpy manner, as the water flea and beach flea.

Origin of flea

before 900; Middle English fle, Old English flēah, flēa; cognate with German Floh; akin to flee
Can be confusedflea flee
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for dog flea

flea

/ (fliː) /

noun

any small wingless parasitic blood-sucking insect of the order Siphonaptera, living on the skin of mammals and birds and noted for its power of leaping
any of various invertebrates that resemble fleas, such as the water flea and flea beetle
flea in one's ear informal a sharp rebuke

Word Origin for flea

Old English flēah; related to Old Norse flō, Old High German flōh
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dog flea

flea

n.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for dog flea

flea

[ flē ]

n.

Any of various small, wingless, bloodsucking insects of the order Siphonaptera that have legs adapted for jumping and are parasitic in the hair and feathers of warm-blooded animals.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Idioms and Phrases with dog flea

flea

In addition to the idioms beginning with flea

  • flea in one's ear, a
  • flea market

also see:

  • hurt a fly (flea)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.